1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to a patch panel; particularly, the invention relates to a foldable patch panel.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 6,971,909 discloses an angled patch panel with improved flange which is connected to a rack. However, though the distance between the patch panel element and the flange is extended, the patch panel elements can not be folded to minimize the dimension of the angled patch panel.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,094,095 discloses an angled patch panel with a frame including a first panel section and a second section. The first and second panel sections are connected and angled by means of a centerpiece. Since the centerpiece is lack of foldable design, the first and second panel sections are not foldable to minimize the dimension of the angled patch panel.
Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 6,918,786 discloses a patch panel with an outwardly angled central frame, wherein the central frame has a plurality of openings, and a flat centerpiece is located midway along the frame to space the openings on opposite halves of the central frame. Though the flat centerpiece can reduce the depth of the patch panel and in turn reduce the outward angle of the central frame, the outwardly angled central frame cannot be folded to minimize the dimension of the angled patch panel.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,981,893 discloses a patch panel with an outwardly angled frame in an inverted V-shape. Although the inverted V-shape frame provides additional space behind the panel patch to accommodate the cabling needs, the inverted V-shape frame is still not foldable to provide flexible configurations for different needs.
Therefore, an inventive foldable patch panel is provided to achieve different configurations.